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Sabi Sands Trip Report for Dec 2005/Jan 2006

I have been thinking about the various issues with other guests in vehicles, particularly when you are such a seasoned safari goer. You really ought to consider cutting your time and getting a private vehicle. That way you would have much more control over what you do and when. We sat and watched one of the Split Rock males and on one of the Styx priide for thirty plus minutes because they were reported to be mating infrequently. The other vehicle from Rattrays came, with first timers, who sit for five minutes and pronounced it was like watching paint dry and moved off, of course the Lions mated two minutes later. First timers don't realize that a Lion in sight is worth a hundred you MAY bump into driving around.

Hi Julian,
I am returning to Londolozi in July, and I am already trying to get to a different camp, and the manager at Bateleur at Xmas gave me specific rooms to request, so I am waiting for a reply, which is a little slow! I also am aware of the lack of single supplement, as I will be going solo in July, usually I have a niece with me, and they want to be in the room with
me!

Tom,
thanks for the tip, but I have several copies, including the original memory cards and 2 lots of CD's. This digital camera and computer in general, are very new to me and unfortunately it does not come easily to me, so I knew I needed to cover myself!

Matt,
I have thought about a private vehicle, but it is too expensive for the whole trip and to be honest, this is the first trip that I have not had a greater portion of my trip by ourselves. Normally, you have a few days with and a few days without, and I am happy with that as a rule. I do not think I could ever go for a shorter time, maybe longer is on the cards, because I believe the longer in one spot, the more I am going to see!

KAVITA,

I HAVE DONE AS YOU ASKED AND ALL THE ONES I WANT DISPLAYED ARE DOWNSIZED AND SAVED IN ONE FILE OR DOCUMENT OR SOMETHING!

More on Londolozi...I spoke to a rep from CCAfrica yesterday at the Long Beach Travel Show.

Lonodolozi and CCAfrica are stuck with each other until March 2007. There has been some disagreements between the owner of Londolozi and CCAfrica.

CCAfrica agrees that Londolozi needs to be upgraded, but before committing to footing the bill for such upgrades, CCAfrica is looking for a long term lease, while it seems that the owner of Londolozi only is offering a short term lease. As a result, if nothing changes, it looks like Londolozi will not be upgraded until at least mid-2007.

(Unfortunately, the Zambian Tourist Board was not in Long Beach, as they were in New York a couple weeks ago when Thit Cho met with them).

Rocco, that's interesting. I don't recall CCA at the NY show, so it looks like different vendors at each show. Hopefully, it was worth your time notwithstanding the Zambia absence. If anything, you get to realize how much you know about Africa since I'm sure you now know as much as any of th exhibitors.

OK, there are lots and lots of places that you can use to share files but I'm suggesting kodakgallery because a lot of here use it so many of us here can help you with it.

1) Visit www.kodakgallery.com and follow links to register for an account. The link says something like "Not a member? Get started"

2) Once you've registered and are in, click on the tab at the top called Upload Photos.

3) Enter a name for your album (such as South Africa 2005), a date and a description if you'd like one.

4) Click on Continue.

5) If your computer supports it the site will provide a link and instructions on an uploading tool that allows you to upload lots of photos at the same time in one easy step. If your computer doesn't have the required stuff installed it gives links to install it OR YOU CAN USE THE SINGLE PHOTO UPLOAD option. It's slower but this is what I used last time as I was unable to install the easy upload thingie.

The single photo installer is basically a page with numbers 1 to 20. Click on the Browse button by number 1 and a Choose File box opens. You need to then navigate to the folder where your downsized files are saved and point it at the first of the pictures in that folder. Then click on the Browse button by number 2 and repeat to give it information on picture 2. And so on. Tedious but straightforward!

6) Once you have done this for all 20 slots, click on Continue. Wait whilst it copies the photos from your computer.

7) If you want to add more photos use the Add More Photos link at the left or there's one towards the top of the screen too.

8) If you want to add captions to your photos click on the tab at the top called View and Edit Photos. Click on your album. On the left side of the screen click on Add Photo Titles. Enter the titles you want and then click on the Save Changes button.

9) To let others view your photos go to the tab at the top called Share Photos. Click on the Select Album button by your new album. Click on Continue. Enter your own email address into the first box. You don't need to change the title or message text. If you want to log who has seen your photos check the tickbox that requires other users to login with their own kodakgallery account to view the photos. If you just want to let people in more easily, do not have this ticked. Click on Send Invitation.

10) The email should arrive with you fairly quickly. Once it does, look at the very bottom of it and there's a bit that says: "If you can't see the link, copy and paste the following directly into your browser" and you want to copy the link it provides and copy and paste it into your next post here at Fodors.

I hope this is clear, if any stage is not clear just let me know. Hopefully myself or, if I'm not online, another kodakgallery user, can help.

I can see why you go back to Mala Mala repeatedly with these magnificent sightings. Sorry about the unpleasant family and memory card, but overall ot looked like another fabulous trip. Appreciate the Mala Mala details as that may be an upcoming destination soon.

Despite the absence of the African Tourism Board, it was still a lot of fun, although my own interest was really in the non-African booths because, as you said, I did find my own knowledge to be as good or better than the people to whom I spoke.

One interesting thing that happened, however, was that the guy manning the CCAfrica booth is actually the same person who acted as my agent for my Kafunta stay nearly three years ago! He had been working for African Travel Inc. but now has his own marketing firm and occasionally does assignments such as this one for CCAfrica. It was a great chance meeting because he really seems to know a lot of people in the industry and he is local, living in the Los Angeles area.

Hi Kavita,
Got those instructions and I am expecting James over sometime this evening to show me how simple this is. So we shall see how we (James) goes! Thank you for your great assistance.

atravelynn,
you are right, I always have great sightings, whether I am there for 24 nights or 5 nights. The unpleasant family are long forgotten, I am thankful they are not mine! The memory card is almost forgotten, not quite, but I cannot complain with the photos I have!
Yes, since September 2001, I have been there once or twice a year. I have been lucky in that I always seem to get great gameviewing, so much so, that I think luck has little to do with it - I believe if you are in a place like MalaMala, you will get the great gameviewing experience. I either go May, June, July which I prefer, because you tend to be out a lot longer, one of the few places I know that has a winter schedule, where you have breakfast before you go out, then return anytime before lunch. Plus with lower and less green growth, you do see things more easily. Lately to accomodate niece's holidays I have been going December, still good, but summer gameviewing is not as long. I do not understand why more reserves do not have a winter schedule - it makes sense to be, a little down time is OK but too much seems to be wasteful, holiday or not!
This July I am off to Botswana for a real change as I really want to see sable, roan and a lot of the little night critters, that disappear too quickly in South African bush!

Kaye, Great trip report and even better photos! I was at MalaMala for 6 nights in Sep04. Seeing your photos makes me want to go back at this time of year. You sure got some good ones. Of course, MM has raised the single rate by $250 a day so it really kicks me out of the ballpark unless I find another single willing to go and share a room.

Kaye - Your photos are wonderful! I couldn't believe the python with the antelope - how in the world was the snake going to eat that huge meal? Can you share the camera and telephoto lens you used to get these gorgeous shots? We're going in May, and I am trying to get as much information and shooting practice in as I can so that I can (hopefully) end up with some decent photos.

Yes I agree that the extra $250 US is hard to take, and I do not understand it during times when the lodge is not full, as you would think one person is better than none - different when they can fill each room with two people.

Dennis,

You are welcome.

Sherry,

Sarah and I did see amazing things, but luckily that is what happens each and everytime I go. Something is always seen that I haven't seen before, the beauty of South Africa I guess!

Sharon,

The snake would somehow dislodge or dislocate its jaw, to swallow its prey. In this instance, it was reported back to us, as we had to leave due to the couple with us finding it boring, yes, I know, that another ranger told me that the snake had started to swallow the head, then they left. We went back the next late afternoon and the little body was still there untouched, so something had happened that the snake was disturbed and moved away and nothing else located the easy meal!
I have a Panasonic DMC-FZ30 - my first digital camera which I got in November. I am reasonably happy with, though I still love my old Minolta. I practised a lot on my dog, frogs around the ponds and I live near a huge park, so ducks, lizards and birds were harrassed by me on a regular basis! One thing I am hopeless on, is night photography with a moving subject just out of flash range, though I suppose no-one specializes in this - my old camera is much better and I would use that at night more often than not. Also at Londolozi now they have a red screen over the spot light - not happy with that at all, as all the night photos were predominantly red. Not good! Also my other problem was little things that were not really close, the camera said it had focused, but it had not focused on my photo subject. So I need some practice before I head off at the end of June.

Thanks for sharing some great pictures, we searched in vain for a Goliath Heron, the usual spot was under water.

Question did you manage to figure out if the cats at Londolozi under one name were the same as at Mala Mala under a different name. I know that the West street Males for example were called the Sparta Males by Londolozi.